Mighty Mujer Triathlon: Women, girls urged to up their game next month at super-sprint triathlon

Arms and water fly in the air during the swimming portion of the 2012 Mighty Mujer Triathlon. This year's event, the third annual, will be April 19 in the Memorial Park area in Central El Paso. (Rudy Gutierrez — El Paso Times file photo)

In less than a month, 500 women of all shapes, sizes, ages and athletic ability will compete in an event developed especially for them. The third annual Mighty Mujer Triathlon, an exclusive super-sprint triathlon for women only, is April 19, starting with a 300-yard swim at Memorial Park Pool, followed by a 15-kilometer bike course and a 2-mile run in the Memorial Park area in Central El Paso.

"We'll have the same fun and challenging course, tons of volunteer and spectator support, and an expanded Race Day Expo for participants and spectators during and after the race," said Gabriela Gallegos, a certified USA Triathlon race director and founder of Race El Paso, "We still have some spots open. I know there are a lot of women training but who still haven't signed up, so it's time for them to do it."

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Victor Martinez

More than 350 women have registered, with some coming from across Texas and New Mexico, Phoenix, Denver, San Diego, Los Angeles, Reno, Kansas, Nebraska, Delaware and even Alaska.

The cutoff is 500 athletes.

"The first year we sold out at 350 and we increased it last year and we hit 482 on race day," Gallegos said.

The triathlon will benefit the Center Against Family Violence. The race is open to women and girls ages 12 or older, who can compete as individuals or teams. Each member of a team enters individually (no relay teams for this race).

Teams can consist of two to four women and will compete against other teams in three categories: mother-daughter, family and girlfriends.

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The Mighty Mujer Triathlon is part of Race El Paso's four major events, including the Eagle in the Sun Triathlon, Flying Horse Half Marathon & 5K and the Mission Valley Duathlon.

"Registration for the Eagle in the Sun opened Saturday, and we've already had 200 people register for that one," Gallegos said. "That one sells out quickly, so people should jump in now."

"A lot of women have been riding the course on Saturdays and Sundays," Gallegos said. "We've had different groups go out there like the El Paso Bicycle Club and Crazy Cat Cyclery. On Sundays the pool at Memorial Park is open, so some people will swim and then ride or ride and then run. Everybody has their own way of training for it."

Every first and third Thursday, Crazy Cat Cyclery is putting on clinics focusing on biking and running.

"We see a lot of women coming in here and a lot of them are newbies to riding," said Belen Barrio-Arriaga, general manager at Crazy Cat Cyclery. "There are certain regulations this triathlon has, one of them being that if a triathlete gets a flat tire out there, they have to fix it themselves. There are a lot of women who don't know how to fix a flat and that's what we can teach them at these clinics."

Today's clinic will be outdoors with a representative from the El Paso Bicycle Club.

It runs from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at 6625 Montana.

"We want the women to up their goal a little bit," Barrio-Arriaga said. "A lot of them come in with the thought of just finishing. They don't care what their time is. But when you start talking to them about the certain tools they can use to try to better themselves and to get a better time in their cycling or running, then they get interested in upping their game a little bit. That's what these clinics are for."

Barrio-Arriaga said clinic participation has increased dramatically over the three years.

"The first day in April I had 40 women," she said. "In the previous years, we've had 12 to 16 people in here. Now we have between 25 to 32 women every session."

Bianca Aguilar raises her hands in triumph as she finishes the Mighty Mujer Triathlon last year at Memorial Park. (Victor Calzada — El Paso Times file photo)

She highly recommends the clinics for women who are going to participate in the Mighty Mujer.

"We give them a list of everything they need for a triathlon," she said. "You are limited to the space that you have so its important that you don't overpack. Do I think they will benefit from it? Most definitely."

Victor R. Martinez writes about youth sports and recreational activities. He can be reached at 546-6128.

What: Mighty Mujer Triathlon includes a 300-yard swim, 15K bike and a 2-mile run. Athletes must be 12 years old or older.